Page 60 of A Beach House Beginning

She had the perfect title in the living room, one of the recommended reading texts left over from her master’s program. She had only made it through about a third of the book, despite months of trying.

When she walked out to the kitchen, Theo greeted her with a tail thump inside his crate.

She could also take the dog out for a quick walk through the garden before she settled in to read. The flowers and shrubs laid out in the Brambleberry House landscaping never failed to soothe her, especially in the moonlight.

For a long time, all her instincts had told her to hide behind triple-locked doors and away from any open windows. Going outside by herself after dark would have been out of the question.

Maybe if she still lived in Utah, that might have been the case. As irrational as it might seem, she felt safe here in Cannon Beach.

Yes, bad things happened here. Bad things had happened toherhere. Aaron had terrorized her and had physically hurt her dear friend and the wonderful Fiona.

Every time she remembered that awful time two summers ago, she felt a little nauseated and had to fight the urge to stay inside where she knew she would be safe.

All the more reason to go outside, she decided. She didn’t want to be a person who cowered.

Without taking more time to think about it, she slid into her garden shoes, pulled a hoodie on over her pajama top and went to the dog’s crate.

“I know you were all settled for the night, but would you like to go out one more time?”

Theo thumped his tail on the floor, which made her smile. What a joy the dog had been, even in only the short weeks he had been part of their family. She had almost forgotten what their life had been like without him.

Theo jumped from his crate and stretched in a good imitation of a yoga pose, then followed her eagerly out the door as she made her way quietly downstairs.

The house was hushed in these early hours of the morning. She didn’t know whether Wes was asleep up on the third floor but the ground floor apartment was empty. The Andersons, the lovely older couple who lived there, were expected home the following week. The retired pair had gone on an extended trip through Europe, including a long cruise, and their weekly email updates filled Jenna with no small degree of envy.

Maybe she should take Addie on a cruise. She could plan it around fall break. They didn’t have to go to Europe. Instead, they could stick close to home and take one of the cruises that traveled the Pacific coastline.

The idea was deeply appealing. Four or five days when she didn’t have to make all the decisions in life, where someone else would feed them, entertain them, show them beautiful parts of the world.

Still, she couldn’t ignore one inescapable truth.

If she was lonely in Cannon Beach, she was going to be every bit as lonely on a cruise, if not more so, surrounded by couples and families having fun together.

How would she ever meet someone new? Jenna wondered as she reached the bottom step. Her job as an elementary teacher didn’t bring many unattached men into her life. She didn’t socialize much, except with her female friends and other teachers. She would certainly never dare try a dating app again, though she knew several friends who swore by them and had found deep and lasting relationships that way.

Jenna sighed as she pushed open the exterior door to the front of the house.

She didn’t want to meet a man, anyway.

Especially a man who wasn’t Wes Calhoun.

She pushed away the thought, focusing instead on the fresh, sweet night air, thick with the scent of roses and lavender. She inhaled deeply, feeling tension in her muscles instantly begin to ease.

This was her home. She didn’t need to leave Brambleberry House, unless things grew too uncomfortable between her and Wes.

Yet another reason to try putting things back on a safer footing.

Theo lifted his leg on a tuft of grass, then followed after her as she walked through the garden toward the pergola overlooking the water. Jenna wanted to take one more look to see how many tables would fit in the small structure.

Before they reached it, Theo’s tail began to wag and he gave a little yip of greeting, her first signs that she wasn’t alone in the garden.

Inside the pergola, Wes wore a headlamp to light his task, which seemed to be tightening a screw on one of the wooden lawn chairs. Three other chairs were upside down, apparently waiting their turn.

He must have heard Theo’s doggy greeting because he shifted in their direction, the headlamp aimed up at the sky like a beacon, forever guiding her toward him.

“What are you doing out here?” she asked when they approached.

“I noticed the chairs all felt a little wobbly so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to reinforce them before one fell apart.”

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